Hunter who got separated from friend found dead below cliff in Alaska, Coast Guard says

The body of a hunter who went missing was found 300 feet below a steep cliff, authorities in Alaska said.

Ryan Ruesch, 47, of Fairbanks went mountain goat hunting with a friend near Lake Diana on Oct. 10, according to a statement by Alaska Department of Public Safety. Ruesch got separated from his friend and didn’t come back to camp that night.

State wildlife troopers were called at around 8 a.m. on Oct. 11 with reports of a missing hunter, the statement said.

Troopers called for the U.S. Coast Guard to help find Ruesch because of the area’s “remoteness and steep terrain.”

The Juno sector of the Coast Guard used a helicopter to locate Ruesch’s body below the cliff, authorities said.

The body was transported to Sitka where he was pronounced dead.

Lake Diana is about 20 miles southeast of Sitka.

This story was originally published October 13, 2022 at 12:48 PM with the headline "Hunter who got separated from friend found dead below cliff in Alaska, Coast Guard says."